Chase the passion, not the paycheck

I always wanted a career where I can help people.  Helping people is something I’m not only really good at but I enjoy doing it.  I also hate having the same day twice and love to be in an environment where I don’t know what to expect and I’m challenged everyday. That’s one of the main reasons I enjoyed the hospitality industry.  When I worked at a hotel I was always doing something different I can’t ever remember having the same day twice and I was able to help people solve many different problems.  The only mistake I made was at that point in my life I was chasing a paycheck and since the hotel industry doesn’t pay well, I checked out mentally from the job and talked myself into thinking the grass would be greener on the other side with a job that pays better.

There are many different robot like jobs out there that pay decent and give you great benefits but those jobs just drain me instead of filling me with some kind of purpose.  After taking some time to really figure out what and who I wanted to be, I realized that is not the way to live a happy life.  If I keep chasing the paycheck I’ll end up like most people who dread waking up every morning to go to work.  It’s sad because I know a lot of people that  work really hard for something they aren’t passionate about.  Can you imagine if they were doing something that they loved and put all that hard work into something that will make them feel fulfilled? 

What happened to personal growth in the past generation?  I couldn’t imagine having the same day over and over again at work for 30 years.  I would have to be put in a mental institution.  

I cant and sure as hell won’t live like that.  I need to focus on what really makes me happy inside, stop chasing the paycheck and chase my passion.  I’ll do whatever it takes live a life of purpose and do work that will actually make an impact on someone’s life or inspire them to be better.  I want to get uncomfortable, take risks and challenge myself and I want everyone else to do that with their life.  If I make a lot of money doing it great but if not it’s not the end of the world.

At the end of the day, success to me isn’t about how much money I make but how many people I help.  I can’t live that robot life just because financially it makes sense. My sanity is more important to me than any kind of financial stability.

Are you the type of person that chases the paycheck over the passion?  Let me know in the comments.